Course Program

Up-and-down contest: how many can you save?

Set up par or better, for a 15-handicap player, ~15 minutes at La Serena

Driving RangeAll teesProgram HCP 15.28 drills

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

10 to 45

Average HCP

15.2

Duration (single session)

4 hr 7 min

or

1 drill/day: 8 days · 31 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Distance Control28%
Scoring25%
Dispersion13%
Precision12%
Accuracy9%
Trajectory8%
Aim4%

Overview

Program Structure

Up-and-down contest: how many can you save?. Save with mid irons and turn into birdies. Focus on Distance Control, Scoring, Dispersion. For a 15-handicap player, in ~15 minutes.

Skill

Scoring

Club

Mid irons (7,6,5)

What you will improve

  • Distance Control
  • Scoring
  • Dispersion
  • Precision

Program details

Sessions
8 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
4 hr 7 min
or
1 drill per day
8 days · 31 min/day

Drill Framework

Program breakdown

Each drill is designed to prepare you for the course. Follow the program or repeat the drills to improve key areas of your game.

01

All irons (9 to 2) | Tendencies Discovery

Driving Range

Discover tendencies amongst irons raise awareness, what is likely to happen in a given situation. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

30 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for All irons (9 to 2) | Tendencies Discovery
1

Pick one flag or target on the range for iron shots.

2

Make five target zones around the flag: center (the flag), short, long, left, right. Use cones, buckets, or imagination.

3

Hit 35 shots in total.

4

Hit 7 shots to each target zone: short, long, left, right, center.

5

Use any iron from 9 to 2, switch clubs each shot if wanted. Ball setup stays the same.

6

Try to land and stop each ball in the chosen target zone.

7

Count how many shots stop in the correct zone for each group.

8

Add up total successful shots out of 35 and enter score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions35
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028252218141174
02

Mid irons (7,6,5) | 3 Landing Zones

Driving Range

Hit 15 balls to each landing zone using mid irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls. Count total number of successful shots.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Mid irons (7,6,5) | 3 Landing Zones
1

Place a flag or target for your mid irons (7, 6, or 5 irons).

2

Make 3 landing zones around the flag. Space the zones 8 yards/meters apart with cones, buckets, or markers.

3

Hit 36 shots in total. Do 12 shots for each landing zone.

4

Only use 7, 6, or 5 irons for all shots. Switch clubs if you want, but keep ball setup the same.

5

Hit 12 shots to one zone, then 12 to another, then 12 to the last zone. You can go in any order.

6

A shot counts as successful if it lands and stops in the right zone.

7

Add up how many shots landed in the right zone, out of 36 attempts, and enter the score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score292724201612963
03

Mid irons (7,6,5) | L-R and R-L 9 Targets

Driving Range

Hit 5 balls to each randomly selected target while producing left-to-right and right-to-left shots, using mid irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Mid irons (7,6,5) | L-R and R-L  9 Targets
1

Set up 9 targets around the flag, spaced evenly about 5% of the distance to the flag.

2

Use cones or buckets to mark the edges so each target has a small gate to aim through.

3

Hit 4 shots at each target, for a total of 36 shots.

4

For each target, hit 2 shots left-to-right and 2 shots right-to-left using a 5, 6, or 7 iron.

5

A shot is successful if the ball goes between the cones.

6

Switch clubs if desired, but hit all 4 shots at each target before moving on.

7

When finished, count how many shots went between the cones.

8

Enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312925211612853
04

All irons (9 to 2) | Club Swapping Challenge

Driving Range

Complete the Club Swapping Challenge using irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for All irons (9 to 2) | Club Swapping Challenge
1

Choose 6 targets at different distances for irons 9 through

2

Assign each iron (9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2) to hit 4 shots each, for 32 shots total.

3

Add 4 extra shots using any club and target, for a total of 36 shots.

4

Try to land each shot within 5% of the distance to the target.

5

Keep the setup the same for every shot, only aim at different targets.

6

Count each shot that lands within 5% of the target distance as a success.

7

After 36 shots, add up your successful shots and enter your score in the app out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141064
05

All irons (9 to 2) | Progressive Targets Challenge

Driving Range

Complete the Progressive Targets Challenge using irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for All irons (9 to 2) | Progressive Targets Challenge
1

Pick 3 flags at the range for your 9, 7, and 5 irons: close, medium, far.

2

Hit 36 shots total: 12 at each flag.

3

Hit 12 shots at the close flag.

4

Hit 12 shots at the medium flag, change irons if wanted.

5

Hit 12 shots at the far flag, change irons if wanted.

6

Count shots that land within a club-length of each flag.

7

Add up successful shots out of 36 and enter score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141063
06

Mid irons (7,6,5) | Quadrants

Driving Range

Hit 12 balls to each quadrant using mid irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls. Count total number of successful shots.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Mid irons (7,6,5) | Quadrants
1

Pick a 5, 6, or 7 iron for the drill.

2

Choose a flag or mark at a medium distance.

3

Make a square around the target using four markers, each marker about 5% of the distance to the flag away from it.

4

Hit 36 shots, divided into 4 groups of 9 shots each.

5

For each group, aim to land the ball in one specific quadrant.

6

Start with one quadrant and hit 9 shots, then do the same for each of the other 3 quadrants.

7

Switch between the 5, 6, or 7 iron any time.

8

Count each ball that lands and stops in the target quadrant as successful.

9

Add up your total successful shots and enter your score out of 36 in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
07

Mid irons (7,6,5) | GIRs Simulation

Driving Range

Simulate X number of GIR (Green in Regulations) using mid irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls. Count total number of greens hit.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Mid irons (7,6,5) | GIRs Simulation
1

Pick a flag for 7, 6, or 5 iron.

2

Mark an area around the flag like a green, about 5% of the distance to the flag.

3

Get 36 balls to hit into this green area.

4

Split the green into 3 equal parts: Left, Center, Right.

5

Hit 12 balls at the Left part.

6

Hit 12 balls at the Center part.

7

Hit 12 balls at the Right part.

8

Use just 7, 6, or 5 irons, set up the same way every time.

9

Count only the balls that land and stay in the zone you aimed at.

0

Add up all your successes from 36 shots and enter score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141074
08

Mid irons (7,6,5) | 9 Targets

Driving Range

Hit 5 balls to each target using mid irons only. Hit one bucket of ~50 balls. Count total number of successful shots.

31 minFocus: Driving Range
Diagram for Mid irons (7,6,5) | 9 Targets
1

Set up 9 targets around the flag using cones or buckets, each target is spaced evenly apart by 5% of the flag distance.

2

Use only a 7, 6, or 5 iron for all shots.

3

Hit 4 shots at each target for a total of 36 shots.

4

Pick a target at random and aim to land the ball between the cones at that target.

5

You can change clubs anytime, but always set up the ball the same way.

6

A shot is successful if it lands between the cones at the chosen target.

7

Do 4 shots at each of the 9 targets for a total of 36 shots, then count the successful ones and enter the score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3230272318141074

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

Start the drills at your own pace or work with a coach to inside drills.golf.